The antidynastic forces found a leader in Sun Yat-sen. In his studies and travels, Sun was impressed with the progress of the West and correspondingly disgusted with China's backwardness. Sun's ideology and the ways he proposed to put it into effect clearly showed Western political and social influence. He wanted to keep the Western republic but he eliminated the difficulty of elections and replaced it with an examination system similar to old Chinese traditions. He also wanted this examination branch to be on equal terms with the other branches of government as well as having a censorship branch as a fifth branch. However, there were many problems within China that he had to overcome. First, the government was weak and corrupt. Second, China was apart of several unequal treaties with the West. Third, he had to find a way to unite China, because the power was currently in the hands of the warlords who had broken China apart. So to overcome these problems, he formulated a program known as the Three People's Principles. They were, first, nationalism, which stressed the overthrow of the Manchus as well as the recovery of China's rights from the imperialists; second, democracy, under a liberal republic in which people would be sovereign through representative government; and, third, livelihood, a combination of industrial socialism and land reform to ensure that cultivators owned their land.
Was also the leader of the KMT (Kuomintang or Chinese National People's Party)
Focused on wEASTERNIZATION--good things and bad things from the West, and the ideals from the East balance out the bad things from the West (for example the elections, and also distribution of land). He wants to take western ideals without becoming them. Mainly, Sun is a traditionalist which bases in his nationalism. He emphasizes that the ideals he preaches were found in Chinese history, so the people should embrace the past to embrace their country.


Sun Yat-sen
Nationalist- Government weak and corrupt
Unequal treaties with West
KMT- republic instead of empire
Yuan Shi'Kai- has to defeat warlords in order to reunite China
1911 revolution-
Nationalist Government based off of 3 principles:
  1. Nationalism
    1. Traditional Chinese Idea

Democracy
Elections replaced by examination system - not based on population. Wants to add 2 additional branches. Government for the people.

  1. Livelihood
    1. Industrial (socialism)- owned by people
    2. Inequality in the economic distribution- wants to make sure it benefits the people
How would you characterize Sun's 3 principles?
Is it really about westernization?
Improving things they have always done and things that have always been Chinese. Taking ideas to improve- proud of traditions and our traditions.
wEASTERNIZATION

Sun-Yat Sen was a nationalist. The government was weak and corrupt. There were unequal troubles with the west, He needed to eliminate government to create a strong China. He liked the west. The government he wanted to create was based off of 3 principles: nationalism - it wasn't a western idea, it was actually Chinese. The Chinese need to be proud of their traditions, democracy - he wanted a government in which the people had the decisions. He wanted a democracy without elections so people do not make the wrong decisions and vote for the wrong people. the government should focus on the people, and livelihood - they would redistribute land that was owned by the people.